Younity - Unity Of The Church Body - Protect It!!! - (Part 1) - 01/02/2022

January 2, 2022 Happy New Year 2022 10-days of Consecration - Facilitators “Unity of the Church Body – Protect It”, Ephesians 4:1-6 4 I, therefore, the prisoner [a]of the Lord, [b]beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in [c]you all. START . . This morning, I want to share a critical word with you on the importance of where I would like to see our church and mindset be focused in 2022. After nearly two years of a worldwide COVID-19 Pandemic and an equal amount of time being away from each other, away from in-person church, and forced to do church and meetings virtually – it’s an important time to turn the volume up on hearing what the Spirit of Gog is saying to the Body of Christ – GP included. I realize that these times are testing many of God’s children like never before and like has never been experienced in our lifetimes. But I want to offer some spiritual insight as to where our focus needs to be both now and, in the months, ahead. Page | 1 There are a lot of speculative things that can be said (and are being said) at this juncture of the pandemic, but above all -- the people of God need hope, encouragement and a clear voice on how to face the tests of our times. Of all the testing and trials we find ourselves faced with two years longer than anyone could have ever guessed we’d still be praying through – there is one critical thing we must do as a Body of Believers and that is “To Endeavor to Keep the Unity of the Spirit and of the Faith.” We are commanded to do this in Ephesians 4: 2 & 3 . . . which admonishes: 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Despite this command, unfortunately, there are still reports of churches everywhere throwing in the towel and struggling to remain together because they have lost sight on keeping the main thing the main thing – that is, holding strong to God’s Biblical Standard of Unity. [We really need to come together as a body of believers and pray and support one another through this unprecedented time and beyond]. To some degree, just “keeping the unity” seems easy enough – but what is not understood is that God’s brand of biblical unity is deeper, more sustaining than the secular or natural unity most of us are familiar with. Natural unity is defined: 1 : the quality or state of being one. 2 : the state of those who are in full agreement. This definition is only as strong as the commitment of the individual’s involved. Furthermore, it’s case by case and can be breached at any point. Page | 2 Biblical unity is permanent, holistic and touches every child of God. Uniquely, it is more about destination than definition. Above all, biblical UNITY is about: Unity of the Body more than Unity in the Body. What that means is that God has already built in or placed unity in the Church, the Body of Christ as opposed to the believers having to work at bringing unity. It is our pleasure to enjoy the UNITY God has already planted in the Body. In today’s message entitled, “Unity of the Church Body – Protect It”, I want to share three clear truths that the Bible holds every Believer responsible for upholding and protecting every day -- but especially in times of testing like we are facing today. The unity we are required to endeavor to keep and to maintain is not something that depends on our strength, rather – it is required of us to depend on God and submit to the unity He has already gotten for us and placed within. As a result, no Believer has the right to protest or complain that there is “No Unity” in the church – whether locally or universal. So, as members of the Body of Christ (His Church), one of the biggest tests we face is “How to remain UNIFIED?” -- through good times and times of testing. Here are three principles to help us do just that. I have laid them out in what I call degrees. First, Second and Third Degrees. The FIRST Degree of responsibility we as Believers have in maintaining and protecting the Unity of the Church Body begins with our Individual, Personal Unity with Christ - our being joined with Christ through our salvation. Ephesians 2:1-5 2 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, Page | 3 according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), The SECOND Degree of responsibility we as Believers have in maintaining and protecting the Unity of the Church Body rests in Possessing a Personal (working) Knowledge of the Work Christ Performed through His Death on the Cross to bring miraculous UNITY between Jews and Gentiles in His Body. This miracle union could be likened to bringing together the Black Panthers with the KKK; or Dems and Republicans; Sheep and Wolves. Ephesians 2:11-16; 3:6, 14-19. 2:11-16 11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Christ Our Peace 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. Page | 4 Eph. 3:6 & 14-19 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father [f]of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. This degree of unity is so significant, we are told to remember it; that it defines all that unity is all about in the Body of Christ – the Church. [All else is personal biases]. The THIRD Degree of responsibility we as Believers have in maintaining and protecting the Unity of the Church Body is about Personal Accountability. Ephesians 4:1-6 4 I, therefore, the prisoner [a]of the Lord, [b]beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in [c]you all. This degree is about possessing the proper conduct and attitude that shows some level of understanding of what God has done to place us in a place of great unity. Page | 5 In times like these, let’s not lose heart church. We have an assignment: to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. “Unity of the Church Body – Protect It” Page | 6